


The Elephant in the Room

by KirkyPet



Category: Mad Max Series (Movies), Mad Max: Fury Road
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Childbirth, F/M, Implied/Referenced Death in Childbirth, Medical Procedures, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-22
Updated: 2016-10-22
Packaged: 2018-08-24 02:00:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8351881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KirkyPet/pseuds/KirkyPet
Summary: Another "Length and Breadth of Fury Road" fic-hijack. It's about a year after the return to the Citadel. Multiple pregnancies occur. Much drama ensues. People cry, freak out, run around, fall over and do the things people usually do when someone's having a baby. There may be some music, and possibly an octopus.(Characters and stories used with permission from Squid)





	

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The Length and Breadth of Fury Road](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4031473) by [proprioception (sacrificethemtothesquid)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sacrificethemtothesquid/pseuds/proprioception). 



**The** **Preamble**  

It's been about 500 days since the return to the Citadel. Furiosa's been feeling a lot better, with a sense of control over her present and hope for the future. She's started to take an interest in food again, and no longer has to be dragged to participate in mealtimes in the refectory. Occasionally she steals food from Max's plate. This is almost a deal-breaker in their relationship. 

She's still lean, no chance of anything other with the physical demands of the Citadel. But she's lost her painfully sharp angles. She even occasionally finds herself pausing in front of the mirror rather avoiding her own image. 

And she's taken to bleeding every month as standard. It's inconvenient, and necessitates more regular trips to the infirmary for the homespun sanitary products freely available to all-comers. She doesn't see Mari's ever-observing eye on these occasions as anything out of the ordinary. 

She'd been irregular all her life. Barely seventeen when she'd been taken, she hadn't had time to settle into a regular rhythm. And her life since then had been anything but regular. She'd refused food in the Vault, and then punished her body with the partly self-imposed regime since she was ejected to the War Boys. 

So she'd be forgiven for not noticing she hadn't bled in a while... 

 **The First Trimester**  

When Furiosa turns away abruptly from potato hash, Mari is all attention. They've been her favourite since she was a kid, and were the safe bet to tempt her appetite over the last few months. 

When she catches Furiosa retching over a drain in the Vault, she knows its time for a conversation. Furiosa wipes her mouth and turns to Mari with a troubled face. "I think I'm coming down with something, Mari. Has anyone else been sick?" She remembers the listeria outbreak when she was an unwilling inmate of the Vault, and shudders. 

'Maybe that's it', thinks Mari, and holds her tongue. She keeps an eye out for any other cases of sickness. 

Furiosa's sickness is pretty low-grade though. And there's nothing to suggest an outbreak of anything unpleasant. But it's quite regular, inasmuch as she's lost her appetite again and is sick almost every day. She's starting to wonder... 

'No...it's not possible.' She'd never conceived during her time in the Vault, and the Mechanic had messed with her so much she was sure he'd broken whatever was still functioning.  

She needs time to think, time to be certain. So she carries a bag with her if she's caught short. She darts to a quiet corridor and throws up as quietly as she can. 

It's been 71 days since her last bleed. She hasn't been keeping a record of that, of course, but she remembers it was the day the water pumps threw a fit and needed an overhaul. 

'Fuck...'. The enormity hits her like a suffocating dust cloud. 

***** 

Max wakes to see Furiosa hurriedly exiting their room. She's been...unusual...lately. She's always been a bit volatile, that's one of the things he loves about her...but it's been different in the last few weeks. He's caught her bawling out some hapless Pup for a trivial offence, and then weeping in remorse for it afterwards. And she's lost her appetite, and her hears the sound of retching in the corridor when he's been half-asleep. 

'Is she sick?', he thinks. He watches her like a hawk after this thought. It's enough to turn him cold with fear. He thinks of speaking to Mari, but prefers to rely on his own vigilence.  

His ghosts are back. 

He was in the garage. Jessie and Sprog were playing in the background, Sprog chuckling with glee at some new game. He turns to look at them. Jessie looks back up at him lovingly. "You know we'll have to leave you soon".  

He nods - his eyes are filling, but he knows it's true. 

He wakes with a sob, eyes streaming. 

Glory is in the corner, cuddling a homemade ragdoll. She's rocking it to sleep, humming a lullabye.  

Furiosa is leaning over the toilet, wiping her mouth, tears streaming down her face. She won't meet his eye. 

 _Oh..._  

He's frozen. She climbs back into bed, exhausted. "A migraine. It always gets better if I'm sick." 

"I'll get you an ibuprofen" he mutters and scrambles to his feet, heading for the door. 

"No!", she cries, "There's no need. I'll just sleep it off." 

He goes anyway. 

***** 

She lies in bed and thinks, her eyes swollen with tears.  

She's never been that cut up about being barren. She's not like Capable, who exudes 'mother' at every pore. She's open to the idea, but it's not essential to her peace of mind. But if she was pregnant with Max's child...mothers, she would want it. 

But how can it be? She never believed she could conceive after the damage she'd sustained. And maybe it was never an option...after all, none of her generation of Vuvalini have been mothers. 

But if it was so...she was hopeful for herself. But how would it affect him? He'd said he couldn't do that again. He's lost a wife and child, and it had driven him mad. 

She was afraid it wasn't real. And she was terrified it would make him bolt. 

***** 

Max sat on the watchtower, alone. Glory kept him company, still cradling her ragdoll, cooing over it. 

What is he afraid of, really? 

Being needed? He was already needed. 

Of losing Furiosa? He knew childbirth was dangerous. And it was harder for older mothers. They were neither of them spring chickens. But she wasn't any sheltered fragile thing. She lived a dangerous life. Why should this be any scarier than going on a Gastown run? 

Of losing the – hypothetical - baby? The logical part of his brain told him there was greater chance here, even after the collapse of civilisation (as it was called), with an extended family of informed and caring people, than Jessie had had, alone in a beach hut. 

But when does logic ever get a casting vote? 

He was petrified, for purely illogical reasons. But - and this hit him like rocks - he wouldn't...couldn't...run. And it occurred to him that it was this possibility that was terrifying Furiosa most. 

He wanted to run to her, to tell her everything would be alright. But he was a coward in important things, so he waited...besides, he might be imagining things, or it might be something else...radiation maybe. But he shuddered, and packed that thought away. 

***** 

Furiosa finally plucked up the courage to go to Mari. 

"How can I tell? It might be that I'm going half-life. I've seen that before...swelling that wasn't a baby." 

"There used to be tests", mourned Mari. "You'd piss on a stick and it'd come up with a blue line or a smiley face if you were expecting. Always wondered at the smiley face myself. Bit of an assumption, I thought." 

"You'll just have to wait, pet...but, chances are, you're expecting a little one." 

Furiosa looked at her wildly. "But how? Why now?" 

"You've been eating better...maybe fretting less...who knows? You've been bleeding more often lately, maybe you're fertile again." 

"Okay, say I am – and that's a big if – what about Max? This could break him. He'll run." 

"You don't know that – it's been ages since he told you about his kid – maybe he's healed." 

"Too risky", Furiosa moaned. "I can't tell him...I wish I knew for sure." 

"You've been throwing up, not eating, acting weirdly"...Furiosa grits her teeth..."he'll think you're sick...who knows what?" 

Furiosa wants to be flippant, but she can't bear the idea of Max being in fear for her like that. But still she doesn't speak. 

***** 

Ten days later, Capable comes to Mari, her face red with recent tears. 

"Girl, what's the matter?", cries Mari, with outspread arms. It's so unusual to see controlled Capable break down. 

"I'm scared, Mari...they've always been so broken and wrong...I'm scared this one will be the same..." 

Mari hushes her with soothing noises. "What do you mean, pet?" 

Capable struggles for breath between sobs. "I've not bled in a while, for a few months. I think there's a baby." 

Mari nods, understanding, She's been expecting this. 

"What are you afraid of?" 

"Every time, my babies have been...none of them could have lived. And Keno's half-life...what will that mean?" 

Mari feels a chill. She's seen badly damaged births before and it's always been hard for the mother - and father, if he's around. 

"And what will Furiosa say? It's complicating things, having babies with War Boys. She'll be angry." 

"I think she'll understand better than you think." 

"I can't tell her..." 

"Tell her – it'll be good for both of you." 

 **The Second Trimester**  

When Capable comes to her, swollen eyed and fearful, Furiosa's mother-heart opens and she wraps the girl close to her in understanding. 

That night, she rolls over to Max in bed and says "There's something I need to tell you." 

His eyes ask, 'Is it a baby?' Hers reply, 'I think so.' 

He gently touches her belly and murmurs "Whatever happens, we'll be alright." 

***** 

Time passes. Furiosa gets big. Capable gets bigger. 

They meet up in the garage. Capable stands up, in full presidential mode. 

"It's time to address the elephant in the room..." 

Toast mutters, "that's a bit harsh – you're not that big..." 

"Figure of speech, Toast", snaps Capable. 

She takes a breath and continues, "I'm sure it's obvious to all of you that Furiosa and I will be out of commission shortly, for a little while. 

Furiosa will cede her role to Ace, with Miro and Ello acting as deputies. I will be able to continue my duties for longer, but I will hand them over to Plenty and other members of the committee when necessity demands." 

***** 

Mari and Cheedo discuss in whispers whether there has been any previous history of a half-life Boy fathering a healthy child. Mari argues that, as long as the reproductive organs aren't affected, a Boy with tumours should be able to have healthy children. Cheedo has quietly been going through the available records but, unsurprisingly, there is no documented evidence of such a thing. 

Joe always took care to identify and procure any healthy breeder females for his own use. Once secured, they were always locked away, inaccessible. Any unidentified breeder among the Citadel workers or the Wretched may have become pregnant with a half-life Boy, but the probability was incredibly small, and any full-life offspring would have been carefully hidden. 

They are stepping onto untrodden ground. 

***** 

Keno is being treated as a virile god among the Boys. He's proud, and thrills with excitement at being the father of Capable's child. But with the fragments that Capable has told him of her reproductive history, and the constant awareness of his lumps, he is afraid. 

***** 

In the main, Furiosa is calm. She has fewer fears about the health of the baby than Capable – not having conceived before, she has no memories to colour her worst-case-scenario. She has almost shaken off the fear that she is not actually pregnant – merely incubating a massive tumour. Her bump is progressing in a way that satisfies Mari's expectations. 

Max is also, largely, calm. Any fits of panic he has, he is able to suppress. His old Vuvalini is there to rebuke and soothe him by turns. He has come to perceive her visits as a help, not a harbinger of disaster. Glory babbles to her ragdoll and looks untroubled. 

It's Capable who has them concerned. She is getting very, very big for her stage of pregnancy, and has been unable to keep anything down. Mari and Cheedo are digging into heavy obstetric volumes. Furiosa sees it left open at 'multiple births'.  

***** 

Furiosa has a minor freakout. She's in the Vault, helping Mari to clean up after a minor procedure. One of the kitchen workers had cut himself badly and had needed stitches. As Mari wiped up the blood from the table and rinsed the cloth in a basin of clean water, Furiosa felt her chest constrict and the room spin. She sat down abruptly and put her head between her knees, feeling the urge to vomit. 

Mari is with her in an instant, her arms around Furiosa's trembling shoulders. 

"Shh, shh, just breathe." 

After a few minutes of deep breathing, Furiosa drops her head heavily on Mari's shoulder. "Sorry..." 

"Don’t be sorry. Just tell me what's wrong" 

"Just bad memories. I saw a lot of attempts at childbirth in this room. They all ended badly." She looks Mari in the eye. " I don't want to die having this baby."  

'Coward', she thinks. But she's not afraid for herself. It's just come home to her that this could be another way for Max to break. 

"The difference here, kiddo, is that we know what we're doing, and that we give a shit about you. The Organic didn't know his arse from his earhole, and didn't care about any one of you. You are our daughter, and we will not let anything happen to you. And besides, best of all, you've got a universal donor who will drain himself dry to keep you here." 

That was comforting...apart from the last bit. 

 **The Third Trimester**  

Capable has been so tired in the last few weeks that she's had to give up her work earlier than expected. She's been tucked away in the Vault where Mari and Cheedo are taking turns to fuss over her and dig into medical tomes. 

Keno is fit for nothing in the Repair Bay. He gets in everyone's way, pacing the floors when he gets lost in his thoughts. Max keeps an eye on him and occasionally attempts to soothe the younger man's agitated nerves. It's actually distracting Max from his own worries about Furiosa. He has nothing particular to be fretting about, but he will worry regardless. 

Its driving Furiosa nuts to be unable to do her normal duties. Granted, they're pretty physically demanding. She doesn't think she'd be able to hang off the undercarriage of the rig with her bump in the way, even if she was allowed...but still. Ace and his crew seem to be handling everything just fine. She smiles wryly, hoping she'll still have a job after the baby's born. 

She's never been one for sedentary pursuits, but she keeps herself occupied with small repairs at her desk and in the Salon. She's actually, grudgingly, agreed to read some of Cheedo's books in the evenings. She'd only read those that Miss Giddy had taught them – mainly poetry and historical works – but she was deep into 'Far from the Madding Crowd', smiling at the dialogue and comparing Max with Gabriel Oak, when she catches a fragment of conversation. 

***** 

"I could definitely hear a second heartbeat!" 

"You can't be sure though – what if you're just hearing Capable's heartbeat in the background?" 

"Okay...but there's other signs. She felt it kick quite early on, and there seems to be a lot of activity in there for just one. Unless she's having an octopus..." 

"Save the jokes for  _after_  the birth, please, Cheedo...." 

"Do you think we'll have to operate?", asked Cheedo meekly. 

"It depends. If they're identical twins, they should be delivered early. But if not, then later would be okay. And if they're breech, or transverse, we'll have to intervene...Mothers, I wish we had an ultrasound...." 

The conversation continues as they leave the room in pursuit of some more books. Furiosa says a silent prayer, for the first time in thousands of days, to the Birthing Mother to watch over Capable. 

***** 

The day finally comes when Mari decides what they ought to do. Capable and Keno concede to her knowledge and experience, and hope for the best. They've concluded from the evidence that Capable's carrying at twins, at least. It's been almost 34 weeks. Overdue if the babies are sharing a placenta. Not quite ready if they're not. It's a gamble, but Mari takes a deep breath and says she thinks they should perform a c-section.  

Capable is genuinely petrified at the idea but she agrees, confident at least that it can be no worse than her previous procedures with the Mechanic. Keno is lost, completely out of his depth. He can fix metal and machines, but this is alchemy to him. He raises no objection. 

They make the necessary preparations. 

***** 

Max and Furiosa are in the Salon, talking in undertones about Capable's situation. She's about 35 weeks along and is feeling it, so Max is rubbing her swollen feet and feeling guilty about being so glad that it's not Furiosa who has to go under the knife that afternoon. 

Mari comes in later and says "Max, we're ready for you now. Thank you for this." 

Max nods and bends to kiss Furiosa on the forehead, putting down his water cup. She grips his hand tightly. "Be ok", she manages to say before letting go. 

He leaves with Mari. Furiosa takes a deep, shuddering breath and prays again for Capable, Max, Keno, all of them. 

***** 

They're hoping that the babies have turned, but they are disappointed. Mari tries to turn them but to no avail. They'll definitely have to operate. 

Max sits to one side, near enough to be in range but trying to detach himself from the proceedings. Capable has been given ether and they begin. Max has seen a lot in his life, and never thought himself squeamish, but he can't handle this. It's not the blood, the viscera – it's the nearness of life and death. The sheer range of outcomes are too much to contemplate. He folds into himself and bleeds into Capable. 

***** 

Furiosa hears a disturbance, a scuffle, shouting. She leaves the Salon to investigate. Keno is squaring up to two Boys, one of whom is bleeding from the lip. They're trying to bar his way. "Boss, they won't let me into the Vault. I wanted to be there but they won't let me in..." 

Furiosa had been expecting this. Keno had insisted on being there for the procedure, but Mari had given up trying to reason with him why his presence would be a hindrance, not a help. She put guards on the corridor far enough away so that any disturbance wouldn't be heard in the operating area. 

She has to try to get him away, to soothe him somehow. "Keno, they're doing everything they can in there – don't disturb them. Max is giving her blood, Mari knows what she's doing, Cheedo loves her and won't let anything happen to her..." 

In her haste to approach the group, she rolls her foot on a loose stone and drops jarringly to her knee.  

"Boss!" Keno cries, and reaches out too late to catch her. 

"O-h-h-h fuck, that's not good...", breathes Furiosa, and hisses in pain as she feels a contraction. 

***** 

Once, twice, a tiny bloodstained infant is carefully held and passed to a Milk Mother's waiting arms. If he hadn't been expecting two, Max would have thought he was hallucinating from weakness. He has lost all sense of time passing. 

***** 

Keno and the Boys on guard duty help her back to the Salon.  

"Get Val, Dag, anyone you can find. But  _don't_ go to the Vault. I will have you on sewer duty for a year if you go near the Vault...ah shit...", she gasped in pain and panic. 

Keno and one of the guards dash off, leaving their terrified companion to stay with Furiosa. 

***** 

Finally, Max is released from his task. Capable is well, the babies are well. He feels grey, lightheaded, transparent. Cheedo lays him down on a couch and holds a cup to his lips. There are tears in her eyes as she thanks him but adds, in her usual infirmary manner, "Stay here, don't move, I'll come back with food". 

***** 

Her waters have broken and she's propped up on the floor with her back against Val. Dag is running around with an endless supply of boiling water and towels, while Maadi is down at the business end, calling out encouraging words. 

It's all over surprisingly quickly. The indignant cry of a newborn can be heard in the corridor outside, causing Keno and a small crowd of ashen-faced Boys to sag with relief. 

***** 

Max drifts back to consciousness with the confused sound of running feet and hushed but urgent voices. What are they saying? Something about Furiosa...? Heart leaping into his throat, he sits up. He gets up groggily. Slowly and carefully he moves towards the curtain that veils the annex from the main Vault. 

The Vault door is ajar and he strains to hear. He's lightheaded and a grey fog is creeping in from the edges of his vision. 

 _"...tell Max it's time to see_ _his son..."_  

Before he hits the floor, he just has time to think 'Did they take too much? Am I going to die...?' 

***** 

The heavy thud and clatter of the falling curtain rail brings them running. 

"I  _told_  you to keep your voice down!" 

"Oh fuck, Furi's going to kill us..." 

"Is he alright?" 

"Bled him too much, I knew it was too long" 

"What was he doing wandering around? I told him to stay put!" 

"The sound of you lot running and shouting  _probably_  got his attention" 

 ***** 

Max wakes up, back on the couch.  

"…'m I dead...?", he mumbles 

"You will be if you don't stay there. You bounced your skull off the table on the way down – you're lucky you're not needing stitches." 

"...blood's too valuable to waste, eh?" 

"If he can joke, he'll live." 

 **The** **Aftermath**  

They help Max to the Salon. Furiosa is lying on the sofa, exhausted and happy, holding a bundle. He perches on a low stool and stares at them stupidly. He's still pale and has a blossoming bruise on his forehead. 

She blinks in concerned surprise. "What happened to you? You look worse than I feel".  

"Baby..." He looks at the bundle, then back at her. 

"Say hello to Daddy, kiddo." 

***** 

They're cuddled up together on the sofa, Max wrapped around the two of them.  

"Is he ok? Isn't he a bit early?" 

"Not too early. Full set of arms and legs, yelled like a banshee. He's got a clean bill of health from Mari. Anyway, he was in a hurry to get out." 

"I can't believe it was all over so quickly." 

"Val is convinced my womb came fitted with an ejector seat". They giggle like over-tired children. 

"I'm sorry I missed it", he murmurs.  

She looks at him fondly, then bends down and kisses the baby's head. "Your Daddy was off helping people. That’s what he does." 

***** 

"How's Capable?", Max asks. "Two girls...are they ok?" 

"They're perfect. Bit small, but Mari says that's normal for twins. A little mop of red hair each. Very hairy babies, I hear." 

"Word gets round fast in this place." 

"I'm just glad it wasn't an octopus..." she said with a smile.

"Hm?" 

"Cheedo thought she might be having an octopus." 

"You sure they didn’t give you drugs for the pain? You sound kind of high." 

***** 

Max has only just noticed that there's music playing in the background. 

"Reggae?" 

"Yeah", Furiosa replies sleepily. "Dag ran and got the singing machine when my waters broke. She thought it would help. I think it did actually." 

Max nods. "Dag's got great faith in reggae. Plays it in the gardens. Says it makes the crops grow better...", and breaks off with a yawn. 

Furiosa lays the baby in a makeshift cot, and she and Max curl up to catch some sleep while they can. 

***** 

"What shall we call him?" Furiosa asks. 

Max rolls over and gazes at the sleeping baby. "Nux...?" 

Furiosa smiles sadly and nods. "Seems right. But only if Capable doesn't mind." 

"We'll ask her when she's feeling up to visitors." 

***** 

Cheedo and Dag peek round the door. Seeing Furiosa and Max awake, they tiptoe in and look in delight at the baby. 

"Have you got a name for him yet?" 

"Not yet...we'll let you know soon." 

"Capable and Keno have named their girls already. Hope and Redemption. Isn't that perfect?" 

 

Finis 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry to put Capable through the ringer so much in this fic. It just worked out that way. I thought a expectant-Dad-swap scenario would be better for a bit of humour and to keep the melodrama levels down. And, consequently, she had to bleed to give Max something to do. Also, I thought Furiosa needed to catch a break for once and have a comparatively easy time of it.  
> Apologies if I've got the pregnancy, caesarian and labour details abysmally wrong. I suspect Furiosa's quick and easy labour is stretching narrative licence to the extreme.  
> I had to fit music in somewhere. Reggae is my next favourite after disco. I see Dag as a reggae girl, and Capable and Keno having an inclination for motown. And Toast...Creedence Clearwater Revival maybe?  
> Oh, nearly forgot. 'The Elephant in the Room' is a nod to 7000 Days part 1, where Mary Jabassa refers to 'the elephant' as something that everyone is aware of but won't allude to. But mainly because I wanted to fit in a bad joke about Capable being hugely pregnant.  
> (I also reference the Vault outbreak that killed Joe's first wife and baby in 7000 Days part 2. Likewise, the 'Birthing Mother' is a loose reference to part 1 - I'm paraphrasing a bit here, because I can't find the precise name in the text and I'm getting sleepy)  
> PS thanks to loirgris who left a comment on "L&B" sparking the question of whether Furiosa had issues with food maybe as a means of control, thus consciously or subconsciously controlling her own fertility.


End file.
